He Hated Her
by unicornsontherun
Summary: Cato hates Clove, but does he really hate her or is he mixing up hate with another emotion?


**A/N:** I was trying to do my homework, but then this happened:

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He hated her. That's why it was so easy to argue with her. He used his words like he would his sword: to produce the most horrorific and torturous results. But she also hated him, and would choose her words just like she did her knives: picking the ones that would cause the most harm. At least that's how he always perceived it. She was a strong girl, or woman, he wasn't sure as he never really understood the distinction between girl and woman. He realized the obvious distinction like a seven year old being a girl and thirty-four year old being a woman, but she was in those years where the distinction wasn't quite clear to him. Though maybe that was just another reason he hated her.

He had always hated her, from the time they were small childern going to their first training camp that would weed out the weaklings to five minutes ago when she so casually waltzed up to him, thrust her hand in his, and said "Allies." He hated her for that latter part, because he wanted to be the one to initiate their alliance, but she beat him to it. He hated her at the training camp too, because although they were sorted by sex for that camp, he had heard the rumors that circulated about one of the female camp attendees being a prodigy. He knew it was her when he saw her smug smirk from across the mess hall, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off of her countenance.

There were countless times inbetween the two that made him hate her, like the time at a dinner celebrating the newest victor when she bumped into him and spilled her glass of lemonade on his best dress clothes claiming that it was "an accident." He had told her that it was fine, which wasn't actually what he wanted to say, but that's what came out. There was this other time, too, before their Junior Academy years when a group of boys were pushing him around and calling him names. She came to his rescue, which was the most embarassing thing he could have imagined happening, and he was often teased for it until he snapped one of his taunter's neck, causing everyone to quiet down about it; ever since that instance no one brought it up again. After the other boys left he insisted that he had it under control, and that he didn't need her help ever. He wouldn't see her again until they entered the Senior Academy. His first encounter with her there was at the induction ceremony. She was wearing a small black dress and talking to a guy who would later become his bunkmate. When he tried to engage her in conversation, she would simply just ignore him.

The next day was devoted to the Victor's Skill Assessment. He also hated her for this, because she outshined him at knife throwing, even if it wasn't his forte. He wanted to be the only one the victors raved about. He didn't want anyone proving to be better than him in any aspect, especially not her. So, when he heard the comments about her ability, he doubled his efforts at the next station, which inconsequential was the sword station.

At the Senior Academy, it was frowned upon to form an emotional attachment to a person of the opposite sex. Friendship was okay, since it was deemed an unavoidable thing seeing as it was human nature to communicate, and the male and female cadets were trained together, but anything more was grounds for expulsion. This rule, however, did not apply to those of the same sex, because they would not have to face each other in the Hunger Games. His bunkmate had formed one of these forbidden attachments. He could have reported him to one of the Sergeants, but that seemed like a callow thing to do, and besides the girl with whom his bunkmate had formed this relationship with was her, and he couldn't bring himself to ruin her chance at becoming a victor, even if she was participating in something that was considered self-inflicting.

He hated her when she broke his bunkmate's heart, not because she did, but because she had dated his bunkmate in first place. He hated her for that because he had watched her kiss his bunkmate many a time and listened to his bunkmate drag on and on about her, and now it seemed like a waste because they were no longer together. Though, he would never admit it himself, he was secretely happy that she had ended things with his bunkmate. Maybe now she would notice him. That, however, didn't seem to happen, and only caused him to hate her more.

Another reason he hated her was because she was beautiful, which he knew was a subjective thing that applied to her. He hated her for that, because he could never have her, not now at least, since they were both in the Hunger Games and only one can live. He hated her for that too, because she was going to die, or if she didn't die, then he would. There was no win-win scenerio to him, because she wouldn't be waiting back in District 2 for him when he won. He hated her for that, too. But most of all he hated her because she was just like him.

When it came right down to it, he loved her, and he hated her for that.


End file.
